more about life

We are adjusting to our new lives and to two new cultures: the State Department and South Arican. Thankfully we are getting more comfortable in each one with each passing week. Last weekend was a fun tradition for the American community – the annual Marine Ball to celebrate the Marine’s birthday. It is black tie and full of ceremony with the Marines in their dress uniforms and very touching speeches and videos. The oldest and youngest Marine joined Don in cutting of the birthday cake with a huge saber. By the end of the night and many whiskey shots later, things on the dance floor had progressed about the way you might imagine. These young Marines are amazing, many are just a year or two older than Sam, but already having done a tour in Iraq or Afghanistan. Our boys play a pick-up game of hoops with them on Sundays, which is always a great workout .
The boys, thankfully, are doing very well at their international school. It is friendly and they have made buddies and are active in new sports and activities. Sam is part of a great group of seniors and has a good social life, which often involves spending weekend nights in one of the Jo’burg suburbs. He has just made the basketball team, is plowing thru college apps and feeling good about a gap year here next year. Peter has also made new friends (his best friend is the Chinese Ambassador’s son) and is playing JV basketball. Ben has shot up and slimmed down and looks and acts like a different kid from the one who left Boulder. He is in the school play and has been asked to play JV hoops for the high school, so life is pretty good for him.
Last week was the international parade at school. It was a beautiful sunny day and each nation (70) was represented: the Olympic theme music played and each country marched from Algeria to Zimbabwe, carrying their national flag and with many wearing their native dress. The advantages of this very diverse community were so very obvious! The American contingent was big and boisterous and not in costume, other than a few sports team t-shirts!

We were able to go to the national rugby finals, the Curry Cup final, where the Pretoria team won! The boys got into the spirit of things by dying their hair blue!


Don and I are perpetually exhausted by late nights and early mornings. This week was fairly typical for what we do at our house, which is on top of the rest of the schedule for me and Don: we hosted a dinner on Monday, hosted a luncheon on Tuesday (for the education sector), I hosted a big coffee this morning (for embassy spouses), we’ve had 2 groups over for drinks (corporate and non-profit people). Thankfully Brenda and Betty and other helpers keep things humming and the planning is quite easy for me. We’ve certainly had our share of incredible, memorable conversations and interactions. I’m beginning to make some dents into the education sector, which is where I think I want to focus my little bit of extra time. I've been able to do several site visits to local groups.


Don is probably the most rumpled ambassador out there, but he is also effective at getting things done. His duties run the gamut from very high level stuff that will influence foreign policy to the day to day workings of the Embassy. He is constantly making speeches, giving interviews and having endless meetings with American and SA businesses, gov’t people, etc. Yesterday he left the house before 6 to officially raise the American flag with the other nations who will be playing in the World Cup and ended about 12 hours later with a meeting of SA and American military who are collaborating in new and important ways….